Controlling apparatus.



D. H. RENE.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1915.

Patented July 11, 1916.

INI/HI TOR III' 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented July 1l, N10.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

D. H. RENE CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED Miu/3.1915.

Lwmw@ n. H.I REN.

coNTRoLuNG APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. I9I5.

l ILQQBQQ lPatented July 1I, 19M

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

DOMINICK H. REN, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 3 1915. Serial No. 25,349.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DoMiNioK H. REN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Apparatus, of which the following 1s a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates generally to controlling apparatus or governors for pumps operated by the pressure of the fluid pumped and relates more particularly to governors or regulators for air compressors.

Objects of my invention are, (l) to provide an improved governing device which can be used in conjunction with others without necessitating any changes, at the same time greatly increasing the scope of their usefulness, (2) to reduce the consumption of steam or other motive agent, t0 lessen wear and avoid severe strains on the compressor, (4) to prolong the l i`fe of the compressor as well as to reduce liability of breakage, (5) to provide for giving the compressor more extended periods of rest after each time it is automatically stopped and correspondingly more extended working periods each time it is automatically started by the operation of the controlling apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

My invention includes means controlled by a predetermined minimum pressure of the fluid pumped to permit or provide a supply of motive agent to the compressor or pump and controlled by a predetermined maximum pressure of the fluid pumped to discontinue the supply of such motive agent when such maximum pressure is reached.

More particularly my invention includes a valve cylinder` having therein an automatically returning valve piston biased to a position closing one of two inlets to the cylinder, the cylinder having an outlet connected to the controlling device for the motive agent, the piston controlled inlet communicating with the minimum pressure operated valve device and the movements of the valve piston being controlled by fluid supplied through the other cylinder inlet from the maximum pressure controlled valve device.

I shall now describe the regulator for air compressors embodying my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and shall thereafter point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the complete controlling apparatus with the parts in position for supplying pump operating motive fluid. Fig. 2 is a similar view partly in elevation with the parts in position for preventing the flow of pump-operating motive fluid. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating an 'air compressing installation in which the controlling apparatus appearing in Figs. 1 and 2 is illustrated in elevation on a reduced scale.

The controlling apparatus embodying my invention illustrated in the accompanying ,drawings is adapted to and is shown as employed to govern or regulate a steam operated air compressor. This apparatus has a steam body 1 shown as of inverted IL-shape through which the compressor-operatingV supply of steam is adapted to flow from left to right and downward as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.v A steam valve 2' which is coperative with a valve seat in the body 1, as shown, is in control of the supply of steam passing through the body 1. The steam valve 2 is carried by a valve stem 3 which extends upward into a piston chamber 4 and has a valve-closing piston 5 mounted on its up er end within the piston chamber 4. A coi ed compression spring 6 interposed between the lower side of the piston 5 and the bottom of the piston chamber 4 constantly tends to move the steam valve 2 toward and to hold it at the open position appearing in Fig. 1. The steam valve 2 will be moved to the closed position appearing in Fig. 2 by a. sufficient pressure of fluid supplied to the piston chamber 4 above the piston 5.

The piston chamber 4 is shown as screwthreaded at its lower closed end into a fiat ring or annulus 7 which is firmly secured, as by means of tap bolts as shown, to an Patented July lll, 191W. i

6o projection 19. A valve pistonQO `is movable upper uange on the steam body 1, which is also shown as previded with a flange at the net 8. .The piston chamber 4 is provided.

with .an escape vent as shown below the piston 5,. The flanged'inverted L-shaped 'steam body `1, such as is illustrated in the drawings, is preferably employed for connecting in'la'rge pipes, but it is to be understood that the steam body may be of other suitable construction, for example, a usual yform of inverted T-shapey steam ,body having straightaway screw-threaded connections may be employed.

The vconstruction and arrangement of parts' just described constitute 'a pressure fluid `operated controlling device in control of the pump-operating motive agent which inthisinstance is steam supplied, as indicated in Fig. 3, from battery of boilers 9 through a. steam supply pipe 10, and the steam body l to the steam end 11 of an air compressor havinga compressor end or com- --presslon cylinder 12. It may as well be noted that this controlling device perse is of substantially -a usual construction commonlyemployed vfor the control of motive fluid or other fluids supplied under pressure. The means involving my invention combined therewith and provided for ,operating and controlling this motive fluid/controlling deviceywill now be described. j

A pressure vfluid distributing device. 'is iny control ofthe pressurefluid supplied to the piston chamber 4 above the piston 5. A valve cylinder 13' has a middle projection or nipple.- 14 screw-threadedinto the bonnet 8 of the piston chamber 4 and provides an outlet 15 vfrom the middle of the cylinder 13 to the top of the piston chamber 4. The valve cylinder 13 is provided with two inlets, the one 16 of which vopens into the cylinder 13 almost .opposite but slightly to the left of the outlet 15,',as appears in Figs. :1 and A2 of the drawings, and the other inlet- 17 opens into the cylinder 13 'at the right near theend thereof. The right end ofthe valve cylinder13 is shown-as closed by means of a screw-threaded plug yprovided,

within the valve cylinder 13 with a pistonlimiting stud 18 which projects to a point nearly opposite the cylinder outlet 15,`and

the left end of the valve `-cylinder 13 is shown as closed byv means of a screwthreaded plug shown as provided in the cylinderwith a reduced unthreaded tubular spring-guiding and piston-limiting in the valve cylinder 13 between the stud 18 and the tubular spring `guide 19 which act as stops for the piston. A piston-biasing coiled thrustI spring' 20a within the spring guide 19 between the plug and the adjacent end of the valve piston 20 has a constant tendency to shift the valve piston to the right against the limiting stud 18, as appears in Fig. 1. When the valve piston 20 is thus shifted to the right its peripheral or cylindrical outer surface will close the outlet 15 and inlet'l, as shown in Fig. l, and when the valve piston 9.0 is shifted to the left, Where its movement will be checked by the end of the spring guide 19, the outlet .15 and the inlet 16 will be open, las shown in Fig.'2. It will' be noted that the inlet 17 remains open in both positions of the valve piston 20. In the construction of controlling apparatus illustrated in the drawings, when the valve piston 20 closes the cylinder outlet 15, as appears in Fig. 1. it shuts ofi` the supplyv of pressure fluid to the piston vchamber, 4 and the steam valve 2 will be maintained in the open position' b v the tension of the valve-opening spring 6, and ifk the steam valve 2 has lbeen previously in a'. closed'condition, 1t will be moved to the `open position by this spring 6, any pressure which opensat a predetermined minimum pressure is provided for supplying fluid under pressure to the piston-controlled inlet 16 of the cylinder 13, and a second automatically-closing valve device which opens 'at a predetermined maximum pressure is provided for supplying fluid under pressure to .the other inlet 17 of the cylinder 13, these two valve devices being supplied with fluid under pressure from a common source and being freely connected together so that both valve devices willfbe subjected to the same controlling influence. These valve devices which I have employed in carrying out my invention are of a form of construction in themselves which is common in the art,

and therefore the details of construction ofI these valve devices will only be described to the extent necessary to a clear understand- Ving oftheir combination and operation in the steam operated air compressor'he'rr'einbeinsonne within the Wall of the cylinder so that the inlet 16 forms a continuation of the outlet passage 22 from the diaphragm chamber 21. 'llhe upper end of the passage 22 isy provided with 'a valve seat controlled by a pin valve 23 which is pressed toward its seat by a co-iled thrust spring 24 which is adjustable by means of a plug 25 screw-threaded into the upper end of a tubular cap 26 for the diaphragm chamber 21, the top closure of which includes a valve-controlling diaphragm 27 The diaphragm chamber 21 is provided with an inlet passage 28 to which is'connected, as shown inthe drawings, a supply conduit 29 for supplying luid under pressure to the diaphragm chamber 21 beneath the diaphragm 2 The maximum pressure operated valve device is of similar construction to the minimum pressure operated valve device just described, having corresponding parts throughout, that is to say, the maximum pressure operated valve device has a diaphragm chamber 30 provided with an outlet passage 31, the diaphragm chamber 30 being screwed into a projecting boss at the right end of the valve cylinderl3 so that the cylinder inlet 17 forms aA continuation'of the passage 31 which at its upper end has a valve seat controlled by a pin valve 32 pressed to its Seat by a thrust spring 33 adjustable as-to its tension by means of a screw-threaded adjusting plug 34 in the upper end of a cap piece 35 for the diaphragm chamber 30 having therein the valve controlling diaphragm 36 and` provided lwith a fluid supply inlet 37 to which is connected a supply conduit l38 for supplying valve-operating Huid under pressure to the diaphragm 36.

The fluid` supply conduits 29 and 38 forthe minimum pressure operatedvalve device and the maximum pressure operated-valve device respectively, are connected together by means of an intermediate pipe or conduit 39 which, together with the supply conduits 29 and 38, provides freely open permanent communication for the passage of controlling fluid between the two valve devices so. that both these valve devices will be sub-` jected to the same pressure of operating-fluid supplied thereto.l Pressure fluid is supplied to both valve devices from a common source through a supply pipe 40 shown as joined to and' forming a continuation of the connectel ingpipe39. 'y j lln the construction'illustrated in the drawings, pressure fluid is supplied to-both valve devices at the 'same pressure from a common source through the supply pipe 40 from a storage y reservoir 41y into which I air "is pumped underpressure through a delivery pipe 42 from the compressor cylinder l12 of fore mentioned. The valve-closing spring 24 of the minimum pressure operated valve device is so adjusted as to permit the pin valve 23 to be unseated at a predetermined minimum pressure of the compressed air in the reservoir 41 and supplied therefrom to the diaphragm chamber 21. The valve closing spring 330i the maximum pressure operated valve device is so adjusted that it will not permit the opening or unseating of the pin valve 32 except at a maximum pressure of air in the storage reservoir 4l, and consequently in the diaphragm chambers 21 and 30, which is to a predetermined degree higher than the pressure of fluid necessary to unseat the pin valve 23 of the minimum pressure operated valve device. This di'erence in pressure of Huid necessary to open the valves of the respective valve devices may be anything desired within ordinary practical limits.

1n operation, to begin with, live steam is supplied to the air com ressor through the steam'body 1 in the position ofthe parts oft' the controlling apparatus illustrated in Fig.

1 of the drawings. As the pressure of the compressed air in the reservoir 4l gradually lincreases or builds up the increasing pressure yof this air will be transmitted through the connections hereinbefore described to both of the diaphragm chambers 21 and 30 of the valve devices. When the predetermined minimum pressure of such compressed air has been reached, the valve-closing spring 24 of the minimum pressure operated valve device will yield under pressure of the oompressed air upon the lower side of the diaphragm 27 and this minimum pressure ot the compressed air Will unseat the pin valve 23 and admit such compressed air to the inlet passage 16 of the valve cylinder 13, but in `view of the fact that the inlet 16 is closed by. the valve piston 20 the vopening of the pin valve 23 does ynot produce any eil'ect at this time upon other parts of the apparatus. When the pressure of lair in the container or reservoir 41 reaches the maximum de- :sired pressure determined upon and conthe pin valve 32,' `thereby permitting compressed air at the maximum higher pressure -to flow into the valve4 cylinder 13 through the inlet `.`l7. The pressure of this coin#v pressed air within lthe cylinder 13'at the 4exerted beneath the diaphragm 36 to open i right ofthe vvalve piston 2() in the position ofy the/parts as illustrated'in the drawings will torcefthe valve piston 20 tothe left away fromitsf-position appearing-in Fig. l1 in. which it closes the cylinder inlet 16 and der. outlet 15v and` then the cylinder inlet 16,

. outlet '15 rand will. uncover first the cylinfk i i will be arrested by the tubular spring guide 19, as appears in Fig. 2. The uncovering of the inlet 16 now permits compressed air to lbe supplied to the valve cylinder 13 through both of the valve devices and the uncovering of the cylinder outlet 15 permits such compressed air to flow from the valve cylinder 2 against the tension of the valve-opening spring 6, as appears in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The supply of live steam to the compressor now being shut olf or discontinued the compressor will stop and will continue at rest until the pressure of air contained in the storage reservior 41 falls below the desired predetermined minimum pressure. When use of the compressed air from the reservoir 41 causes its pressure to fall below the predetermined maximum pressure the pin valve 32 of the maximum pressure operated valve device will be closed by its valve-closing, spring 33, by reason of the corresponding drop below maximum of the pressure of air contained in the diaphragm chamber 30 beneath the diaphragm 36. However, the pin valve 23 of the minimum pressure operated valve device will remain open and compressed air will still be supplied to the valve cylinder 13 and will lhold the valve piston 20 at the position illustrated 1n Fw. 2 in which the cylinder inlet 16 and outlet 15 are both open, and compressed air will continue to be supplied from the valve cylinder 13 to the piston chamber 4 and this compressed air will continue to hold the steam valve 20 in the closed position so that the compressor is still permitted to remain at rest. With the continued use of compressed air from the reservoir 41, the pressure of the air will eventually decrease until it drops to the predetermined minimum pressure for compressed air contained there- 1n; When such minimum pressure is reached the corresponding decreasing' pressure in the diaphragm chamber 21 beneath the diaphragm 27 will permit the valve-closing spring 24 to seat the pin valve 23, thereby shutting off the ysupply of compressed air to the valve cylinder 13 in front of thepiston valve 20 and likewise to the piston chamber 4 above the piston 5 which controls the steam valve 2. Both-of the pin valves 23 and 32 of the respective valve devices now being closed, no compressed air is supplied from the` reservoir 41 to the valve cylinder 13 and piston chamber 4 and the air under pressure confined therein after the closing of the pin valves will now escape through the vent from the passage 15 in the connection between the valve cylinder 13 and piston chamber 4 and also through the vent shown as provided from the passage 31 in the lower part of the diaphragm chamber 30-of the maximum pressure operated valve device, thereby relieving the pressure upon the front of the valve piston 20 and upon the top of the steam valve controlling piston When the pressure of the compressed air 1s removed above the piston 5, the spring 6 will shift the steam valve 2 to the open position appearing in Fig. 1 thereby permitting live steam to ii'ow through the steam body 1 and restart the compressor. With the removal of the pressure of the compressed air from the front of the valve piston 20, the spring 20a will shift the valve piston to the position appearing Fig. 1 in -which it closes the cylinder outlet 15 and the cylinder inlet 16 from the minimum pressure operated valve device. It will be noted that as the compressor continues its operation and raises the pressure of the compressed air in the reservoir 31, and consequently in the diaphragm chambers of the valve devices, above the predetermined minimum pressure at which the pin valve 23 of the minimum pressure operated -valve device will be opened, the valve piston 20 will not be shifted away from its passage-closing position appearing in Fig. 1 by the pressure of compressed air in the inlet passage 16 but can only be thus shifted to the passage-opening' position by compressed air supplied through the maximum pressure operated valve device when the maximum pressure of compressed air has been attained in the reservoir 41, thereby to open the pin valve 32. It is to be understood, however, that the strength or tension of the return spring 20a for the valve piston 2O is such that the valve piston, after it has been shifted to the passage-opening position, will be maintained at this position by compressed air supplied through the inlet passage 16 until such pressure falls to the minimum with the resulting closure of the pin valve 23 of the minimum pressure operated valve device.

By proper adjustment of the valve controlling springs 24 and 33 of the valve devices the difference between the maximum compressor-stopping pressure of air in the reservoir 41 and the minimum compressorstarting pressure .may be anything ranging from nothing or the very slightest difference up to whatever is desired within the capacity or range of adjustmenty for which the apparatus is constructed. Under many conditions of use, particularly in stationary plants, it is not essential that a uniform or substantially uniform pressure shall` be maintained in the storage reservoir 41, and it is under these conditions or to these installations that my invention is particularly advantageously applicable. It is to be understood, of course, that the minimum pressure of air in the storage reservoir 41 shall be sufficient for the purpose for which such air is to be used, and the maximum pressure may be considered as an excess pressure providing a surplus of the stored compressed air by'reason of which the compressor is permitted, through the operation of the con'- trolling apparatus of my invention, to come to a full stop andvto continue at rest until such surplus air has been used and the pressure falls below the minimum. Also after the compressor has been thus automatically started in operation it is similarly permitted to run steadily and continuously until the surplus of air under pressure in the storage reservoir 4:1 has been replaced and the maxi'- mum pressure thereof reached. lt will now be readily understood that the controlling apparatus of my invention effects a large economy in the use of steam and also a great saving in Wear and strain on the compressor.

lt isobvious that various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described within the principle and scope of my invention. 1

.I claim: y

l. A. pressure fluid operated controlling apparatus comprising a valve cylinder having two inlets spaced apart longitudinally of the cylinder, a valve piston .in thev cylinder biased to a position closing one ofthe inlets and controlled by pressure fluid sup'- plied through both inlets an automaticallyclosingfluid-operated va ve device in control of the piston-controlled inletl of the valve cylinder and lopenable under a predetermined minimum pressure of fluid supplied to such valve device, a'second automaticallyv-closing fluid-operated yvalveI device in vcontrol of the other inlet of the valve cylinder and openable under a predetermined maximum pressure of'fluid supplied to said second valve device, means for supplyingl valve-controlling fluid from a common source to both of said valvedevlces, and

`means controlled by the valve piston in control of the pressure of the fluid supplied to said valve devices.

2. A pressure fluid operated controlling apparatus comprising a valve cylinder having an outlet and having two inlets` spaced apart longitudinallyof the cylinder, a valvev piston in the cylinder controlled by the' pressure of fluid supplied through both inlets and having a bias toward a position in which it closes one of the inlets,'an automatically-closing valve device openable -at'a predetermined minimum pressure of fluid for supplying such fluid to the piston-controlleolinlet of the valve cylinder, a second automatically-closing valve device openable at a predetermined maximum 'pressure of fluid for supplying such fluid to the other inlet of the valve cylinder, means for supplyingfluid at the same pressure from a common source to both of the valve devices, anda controlling device operated by the' pressure of fluid supplied from the outlet of the valve cylinder. f

3; A pressure fluidA operatedcontrolling apparatus comprising a valve cylinder having two inlets spaced apart longitudinally of the cylinder and an outlet adjacent to one of the inlets, a valve piston in the cylinder biased to a position in which it closes the outlet and the adjacent inlet and controlled by the pressure of fluid supplied through both inlets, an automatically-closing valve device openable at a predetermined minimum pressure of fluid for supplying such fluid to the piston-controlled inlet of the valve cylinder, a second automatically-closing valve device openable at a predetermined maximum pressure of fluid for supplying such fluid to the other inlet of the valve cylinder, means for supplying fluid at the same pressure from a common source to both of the valve devices including freely open permanent communication for the passage of such fluid between the valve devices, and means controlled by the pressure of fluid supplied from the piston-controlled outlet of the cylinder in control of the pressure of the fluid supplied to said valve devices. ,v

- 4. A. pump governor comprising a valve cylinder having two inlets spaced apart longitudinally ofthe cylinder and an'outlet adjacent to one of theinlets, a valve piston in the cylinder biased to a position in which it closes the outlet and the adjacent inlet and controlled by the pressure of fluid supplied through both inlets, an automatically- ,closing valve device openable at a predemunication for the passage of such fluid between -the valve devices, and means controlled by the pressure of fluid supplied from the piston-controlled outlet of the cylinder in -control of the pump-,operating motive agent.

5, A pump governor comprisingV a valve cylinder having an outlet and having two inlets spaced apart longitudinally of the cylinder, a valve'piston in the cylinder controlled by the pressure of' fluid supplied tlinough both. inlets and having a bias toward a position in which it` closes one of the inlets, an automatically-closing valve device openable at a predetermined minimum pressure Kof fluid for supplying such fluid .to the piston-controlled inlet of the valve Cylinder, a second automatically-closing valve. device opcnable at a predetermined maximum pressure of fluid for supplying such finid to the other inlet of the valve In testimony whereof I have affixed my cylinder, means for supplying the .pumped signature in presence of two Witnesses.

iuidfreely to both of the valve devlces, and a controlling device operated by the pressure of fluid supplied from the outlet of the valve cylinder in control of the pump-operating motive agent.

n DOMINICK H. REN. Witnesses:

A. C. SCHOEDINGER, T. C. LANCASTER. 

